Fight the Afternoon Slump with Yoga

We’ve all been there. It’s the middle of the afternoon, after lunchtime. You’re at your desk in the office and hit the dreaded afternoon slump. While caffeine or sugar might offer temporary relief, their results wear off and you’re back where you started.

Smart-watch company Pebble released results collected from their happiness app, which tracks happiness and energy levels throughout the day. Users recorded 1–4 p.m., as the hours with the highest slump in energy, making it more difficult to remain productive in the afternoon.

A quick yoga session is a great, natural way to combat the afternoon slump. The exercise increases energy and mood, giving you a boost to make it through the rest of the day and stay productive.

Start by practicing some simple, desk-friendly yoga poses including a seated backbend, seated forward bend, seated twist and neck roll. These moves are perfect for small, crowded spaces as they don’t require a yoga mat — you don’t even need to get out of your chair! Get your coworkers involved and plan a group yoga session in a common area for team building and mood boosting.

Many yoga apps focusing on quick, easy workouts are available to download. For office use, try 5 Minute Yoga (free), Daily Yoga (free) and Pocket Yoga ($2.99).